SIX direct phone lines to the Samaritans are to be installed on a bridge used by suicide jumpers.

The helpline charity already advertises its phone number on Itchen Bridge in Southampton, where 19 suicides were recorded between 1985 and 2004.

CCTV covers the route over the River Itchen and alerts police if someone appears to be in difficulty.

But the local NHS primary care trust and mental health charities want more done to help the average 20 people a year who threaten to take their own life on the bridge.

Christina Richardson of Southampton City Council, which helped draw up the as-yet-uncosted plan, said: "The evidence shows that people thinking about suicide will reach out for help if the opportunity exists.

"The proposed help points on the bridge would enable people to make direct contact with the Samaritans or the police, if appropriate, and get immediate support."